Where Polygamy Is Most Widely Practiced

Polygamy remains rare across the world and data from the Pew Research Center shows where it is most widely practiced. In the United States, spouselike relationships with more than one person under the same roof were criminalized in 1882 and every state has a law against getting married while already being married to somebody else. Interestingly, Utah passed a law in February reducing punishments for people living together in polygamous relationships which has made it a low-level offence without jail time.

So where is polygamy most commonly practiced today? Pew's data shows that around 2 percent of the global population currently lives in a polygamous household and it is most frequently seen in parts of West and Central Africa where it remains legal. The share of individuals living in polygamous households is highest in Burkina Faso (36 percent), Mali (34 percent) and Gambia (30 percent). It tends to vary based on religious affiliation, however. For example, eight percent of Christians in Nigeria live in a polygamous household compared with 40 percent of Muslims.